


Together We Could Take On The World

by Sasparella76



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Claustrophobia, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Executive PA Liam, First Kiss, Graphic Design Manager Zayn, Koutaliaphobia, M/M, Mini Batman and a Lightsaber
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 11:17:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17786363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sasparella76/pseuds/Sasparella76
Summary: If you think you’re having a bad day, spare a thought for Liam and Zayn. These two guys can’t stand each other, but right now they’re locked in the stationery cupboard at work and are desperately trying to figure a way out.





	Together We Could Take On The World

**Author's Note:**

  * For [she-is-the-kryptonite](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=she-is-the-kryptonite).



> Written as a gift for she-is-the-kryptonite based on her prompt ‘first kiss’. Happy Valentine’s Day Mara – keep shining your light on the world.
> 
> This fic is part of the Ziam Valentine’s Day Gift Exchange. Sending a huge thank you to the lovely people at The Ziam Club for organising everything. x
> 
> My fic has now been translated into Russian by the incredibly talented RinaHap. You can access it [ here](https://ficbook.net/readfic/8084816)

Liam Payne, Executive PA to the CEO of a major London marketing group, was having one of those days where everything was going right. It wasn’t even lunchtime yet he’d already responded to all his outstanding emails, drafted the minutes of yesterday’s team meeting and booked a return Eurostar ticket to Paris for his boss, Mara, who will attend a conference there next month.

Liam had started to feel a little peckish though, and as he strode down the corridor to pick up a couple of strips of staples from the stationery cupboard, his thoughts turned to whether he was more in the mood for some pasta salad or a baguette from the café down the road. 

Well, that was until he noticed that the door to the stationery cupboard had been wedged open, the cupboard light was on and Zayn Malik - of all people - was stood inside, burrowing through the mountain of office supplies. 

Liam stopped dead in his tracks. 

An awkward tension had existed between Zayn and Liam ever since Zayn started in his role as the company’s Graphic Design Manager six months ago. Zayn made no secret of the fact he did not like Liam, although he had never told him why. In fact, he rarely said anything to Liam at all, choosing instead to throw him an icy glare whenever they saw each other. For a while, Liam had gone out of his way to be friendly but as time went on he felt more and more hurt by Zayn’s unconcealed dislike. Liam eventually gave up trying to be nice and despite his better judgement resorted to glaring back at Zayn and making sarcastic comments whenever the opportunity allowed. 

Liam hovered in the doorway, watching Zayn stand on his tiptoes and stretch his arms upwards in a futile attempt to reach the laminator that was sitting on the top shelf of the cupboard. Zayn’s t-shirt rose up as he stretched, exposing a few inches of bare skin above his low-slung jeans. Liam felt his pulse quicken and his cock give an interested twitch as his eyes were drawn to Zayn’s body. ‘Traitor,’ Liam muttered to his disloyal cock before swallowing heavily. Why did the guy have to look like a model? It really was unhelpful.

Liam realised that he had been staring at Zayn for far too long and it was starting to get a bit weird. He was not in the mood for another altercation with the guy and was tempted to head straight back to his desk in order to avoid any awkwardness - but that was stupid, right? Liam couldn’t let his animosity with Zayn Malik affect how he did his job. Besides, he really needed those staples. 

His mind made up, Liam hurriedly stepped into the tiny room, knocking against the door as he did so. 

‘Do you need a hand?’ he asked, surprising himself by his offer of help. 

Zayn swung round at the sound of Liam’s voice. ‘Not from you,’ he retorted bluntly before turning back to stare again at the laminator. ‘Just get what you’ve come for and go, Payne.’ 

‘Trust me, I don’t intend on sticking around any longer than I have to, although a part of me is curious to see how long it will take that massive ego of yours to face up to the fact that you aren’t tall enough to reach the laminator,’ Liam said as he began to search along the shelves for his staples. 

‘You’re not exactly a giant yourself,’ Zayn muttered sullenly in response.

All of a sudden, the door to the cupboard came loose from the small wedge that had been propping it open. 

Liam jumped at the noise the door made as it slammed shut and Zayn turned around in shock, pressing the flat of his hand firmly against Liam’s chest as he squeezed past him to get to the door. He grasped frantically at the handle and rattled it repeatedly in an attempt to get out. 

The door remained closed.

‘Stop messing about, Malik,’ Liam huffed in annoyance.

‘I’m not messing about,’ Zayn responded. ‘We’re trapped.’ His eyes were wide open in alarm as he looked across at Liam, who stepped forward to try the handle for himself.

After a desperate minute or so where Liam made repeatedly futile attempts to open the door, he admitted defeat, groaning as he pressed his forehead against the wooden door frame. ‘It’s definitely locked.’

‘Duh, I already told you that,’ Zayn hissed sarcastically. ‘Why did you let the door shut anyway when the key was still in the lock?’

‘Don’t blame me for this.’ Liam retorted, a mix of worry and irritation etched across his face. ‘When did it become my job to check that you’d propped the door open properly? If this is anyone’s fault it’s yours. You should have brought the key in with you. I always keep hold of the key when I go into the stationery cupboard.’

‘Well you didn’t today, did you, Mr smarty-pants,’ Zayn snapped.

‘That’s because you were already in the room,’ Liam replied, his voice rising in exasperation. ‘I thought you’d have had it with you.’

‘But I don’t need to bring the key in because I always prop the door open,’ Zayn wailed desperately.

Liam threw his hands up in the air in frustration. ‘Yeah, well leaving the key in the outside lock has really worked out well, hasn’t it?’ 

They glared at each other for a moment before Zayn exhaled deeply. ‘Look, it shouldn’t be a problem getting out of here. We just need to phone someone in the office to come and unlock the door.’ 

He shoved his right hand deep into the back pocket of his skinny jeans and pulled out his phone. Liam nodded in relief as Zayn tapped a few buttons on the handset. After a moment, however, Zayn began to grimace. 

‘Can’t get a signal inside this stupid cupboard.’ 

‘Let me see,’ Liam said, grasping for the phone and wrapping his fingers around Zayn’s hand as he did so.

‘Look, no bars,’ Zayn said, pointing at the screen. Their shoulders brushed together as they stood hunched over the phone. Liam let his hand fall away from Zayn’s in despair and Zayn waved the phone frantically in the air, looking to see if he could pick up a signal. 

‘Is this place lined with lead or something?’ he moaned. After a minute of wafting his phone aimlessly around the small cupboard space, he gave up. 

The pair of them stared at each other.

‘What are we going to do, now?’ Liam asked, feeling a sense of hopelessness seep into his gut. 

Zayn let out a dejected sigh and shrugged. ‘You are all toned and muscly and stuff. Why don’t you put all those ridiculous gym sessions to good use and force the door open?’ he suggested, flapping his hands in Liam’s general direction by way of explanation. ‘Do something to get us out of here.’

Liam flushed and he felt his pulse quicken as Zayn looked him up and down. ‘You think I look toned?’ he asked, startled. His voice cracked slightly as he instinctively ran his hand over his abs. 

Zayn shot Liam a withering look. ‘Got to be honest, Payne, admiring your biceps isn’t my top priority right now. Just get that door open, would you.’

‘Wow, what a charmer.’ Liam said through gritted teeth. ‘When you ask me so nicely, how could I possibly refuse?’ 

Zayn looked down at the floor, suddenly chastened.

‘And would it hurt to throw in the odd ‘please’ every now and again?’ Liam added. 

‘Look, I’m behaving like a brat, I know,’ admitted a more subdued Zayn. ‘It’s just that I don’t like being in enclosed spaces like this cupboard. It’s why I always prop the door open.’ He rubbed the back of his head with his hand and shifted from foot to foot. ‘It’s no excuse, but I feel like I could be seconds away from a panic attack and I’m trying my best to hold things together. I’m sorry, Liam, truly. _Please_ can you try to force the door open.

It was the first time Zayn had shared anything personal about himself with Liam and the atmosphere between them suddenly changed. As they looked at each other, Liam fought back a weird urge to wrap his arms around the downhearted man in front of him. Realisation dawned on him that this must be such a frightening experience for Zayn. He wanted to reassure Zayn that he was safe and tell him that everything would be okay. But he couldn’t do any of that because they weren’t friends. They didn’t even like each other. 

‘Stand back then,’ he said instead.

The vulnerability Zayn had exuded a moment ago turned to relief as Liam took control, and he exhaled deeply. 

‘Bit tricky to do that in here, mate,’ he muttered as he glanced round the tiny room.

‘Mate,’ Liam repeated under his breath, shaking his head as he turned away from Zayn. 

Zayn remained quiet as Liam carried on, stretching and rotating his torso a few times before taking his position and flinging the left side of his body against the door as hard as he could several times. The door stayed put, but Liam felt a shooting pain radiate across his shoulder and down the length of his arm. 

‘Okay, that hurt,’ he announced, wincing as he rubbed at his arm. ‘Got to be honest, the door doesn’t want to budge.’ 

‘Let’s not try that again, then,’ Zayn said, reaching out to touch Liam’s upper arm before quickly pulling his hand back. ‘It was a stupid idea, anyway, and I never should have suggested it. You’ve not hurt yourself, have you?’

Liam shook his head. ‘Just dented my pride a bit, is all.’

Zayn threw Liam a small smile and Liam found himself smiling back. 

‘So, Malik, got any more bright ideas on how we can escape from here?’

‘Only this,’ Zayn said as he raised a clenched fist and began to hammer on the door. 

‘Hello,’ he called out as loudly as he could. ‘Hello, can anyone help me?’

After a few moments, they heard the sound of approaching footsteps and a knock at the door.

‘Hello?’ replied a voice with a familiar Irish twang.

‘Niall!’ Zayn exclaimed, breathing out a sigh of relief as he heard the amiable Irishman. ‘You don’t know how glad I am that you were walking past just then. It’s me, Zayn. I am trapped in here but the key should still be in the lock. Can you open the door and let me out?’

‘Why on earth did you leave the key in the outer lock, you plonker?’ Niall asked before dissolving into laughter. 

Liam looked over at Zayn and nodded smugly in agreement, causing Zayn to throw his hands in the air and tut loudly. 

‘Yes, Niall, I’m trapped in a cupboard. It’s hilarious,’ he deadpanned, glaring at Liam. ‘Now please can you open the door.’

Niall began to laugh even harder and after a short while Liam groaned in exasperation. 

‘Anytime you like, Niall,’ he called out, annoyance etched in his voice.

‘Payno!’ Niall exclaimed in delight. ‘Are you in there as well?’

‘Yes, Nialler,’ Liam sighed loudly as he spoke, ‘I’m here too.’ 

Niall let out another hysterical cackle. ‘You mean to tell me the pair of you are locked in the stationery cupboard. TOGETHER. What were you both doing in there at the same time? It’s a bit on the small side for two people.’ 

Zayn and Liam both cringed as Niall continued cheerfully. ‘No, don’t explain. I don’t think my innocent ears are ready to hear all the sordid details. Besides, I’ve always known that you two secretly fancy each other. You both pretend to be mortal enemies, but I can sense that underlying sexual tension a mile off.’

‘Please stop talking, Niall,’ Liam replied in horror. ‘Zayn and I were both collecting some stationery when we got locked in. And that is all we were doing.’

‘Of course it was,’ Niall placated, clearly unconvinced. ‘Hold on a mo; I’m going to get Tommo. He’d never forgive me if I didn’t tell him. This is too good.’

‘Oh no, Niall. Don’t tell Louis. He’ll give us so much stick,’ Zayn pleaded. ‘I am literally on my knees right now begging you not to do that.’

Liam glanced towards Zayn, who was still standing, and arched an eyebrow. Zayn shrugged in response.

‘Don’t go anywhere, either of you,’ Niall sang out happily, completely ignoring Zayn. ‘I’ll be back in a minute.’

Liam rubbed his hands over his face in defeat at the sound of Niall’s retreating footsteps. ‘We are never going to live this down, are we?’ he said in resignation. 

Zayn shook his head despondently. ‘Niall and Louis will make our lives completely miserable from now on. I don’t think I can bear it. I am going to have to change jobs.’ 

Liam nodded in recognition of the predicament they were in. ‘What a mess.’

A few moments later, they heard riotous laughter and the sound of feet cantering along the corridor. ‘Alright in there, lads,’ called out a man with strong northern accent. ‘Nialler here tells me the two of you have got yourselves into a bit of a tight spot.’ 

Niall guffawed again. 

‘Don’t be a tease, Lou,’ another man with a much deeper voice chastised fondly. ‘Liam. Zayn. Are you both really trapped in there?’

It was Harry. 

‘Yes, Harry,’ Liam said, thankful that he was talking to someone sensible at last. ‘The door shut when we were both collecting stationery and we are locked in. Can you unlock it for us, please? Nialler was no help. By the way, Niall, how many people have you brought over to witness our humiliation?’

‘I just went to find Tommo, honest,’ Niall replied, ‘but Harry was with him so I brought him along too. You know they can’t stand to be too far away from each other.’

‘Hey!’ Harry exclaimed, sounding a bit put out.

‘To be fair, he’s not wrong, Harry,’ Zayn answered, causing Liam to bark out a laugh. 

Everyone in the office loved to gossip about how Harry and Louis clearly adored each other even though they tried their best to keep their relationship discreet. They were pretty useless at being subtle around each other, though. 

Zayn looked over at Liam in surprise at his reaction and Liam felt his heart gave an involuntary flutter as he noticed the corners of Zayn’s mouth twitch upwards.

‘Don’t be cheeky, Zayn, or we won’t help,’ Harry replied from outside the door. ‘Do we just need to unlock the door, then, to get you both out?’ 

‘Yes,’ Liam exclaimed in relief.’ Thanks so much, Harry.’ 

‘Whoa there, hold up a minute, my lovely Hazza,’ Louis interjected. ‘It seems a shame to waste such a golden opportunity.’ 

‘Louis,’ Zayn called out in warning. ‘Now’s not the time for one of your pranks, thank you very much. Just open the door.’

‘We will, Zaynie boy, we will,’ Louis retorted, sounding far too satisfied with himself. ‘But the pair of you have had some stupid tiff going on for ages and none of us have ever been able to figure out why.’ 

Liam and Zayn both shifted uncomfortably as Louis spoke so openly about the tension that existed between them. 

‘When you are moody with each other it makes the atmosphere in the office weird. You need to get over all your nonsense and it seems to me that this is the perfect time to do just that. We’ll give you both a chance to have a proper heart to heart in your love cupboard whilst we go and have our lunch, then we’ll come back in an hour to let you out, I promise.’ 

‘No Louis,’ Liam pleaded, banging his fist against the door. ‘You can’t keep us locked up in here.’ 

‘Ah, but Liam - sweet, innocent Liam - that’s where you are wrong,’ Louis replied with far too much glee. ‘And to be honest I am a little bit offended that neither of you have thanked me yet for offering you the opportunity to work through your lover’s tiff.’

Zayn huffed angrily and Liam recognised that Louis was not for changing his mind. 

‘Harry,’ he begged in desperation. ‘You are the intelligent one. Be rational about this. You can’t leave us in here. For one thing, I’m hungry. And what if someone wants some stationery? Please open the door.’ 

‘I am sorry, Liam, but I kind of agree with Louis on this,’ Harry replied, sounding incredibly apologetic. 

‘Of course you do,’ Zayn muttered sarcastically. Liam grinned despite himself. 

‘The pair of you need to sort out your differences,’ Harry carried on. ‘You can’t keep refusing to speak to each other. It’s so childish. I think it would do you both a lot of good if you spend the next hour working out how to resolve the problems that exist between you.’

Zayn tutted and shook his head. ‘That’s not going to happen,’ he said, resolute. ‘Niall, please, we are mates. Ignore Lou and Harry. Unlock the door. I’ll get you an extra-large box of those iced donuts you like if you do. The ones with jam in the middle.’ 

He looked across at Liam and stuck his thumb in the air as he sensed Niall waver at the offer.

‘Niall,’ Lou responded with caution in his voice. ‘Don’t listen to Zayn. He is trying to trick you. He’ll never get you those donuts once he is free, but if you come for lunch with me and Harry now, we’ll treat you to a super deluxe steak bake and a desert of your choice.’

‘That’s a very tempting offer. Steak bakes _are_ my favourite and I didn’t bring anything in for lunch,’ Niall mused. ‘Okay, Tommo, it’s a deal.’

‘Nice one, Nialler,’ Louis replied jubilantly.

‘You are dead to me, Niall Horan,’ Zayn announced from inside the cupboard. 

‘Nah, Zayn, you love me and you always will,’ Niall replied, nonplussed. ‘See you in an hour, lads, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.’

‘But do be open and honest with each other and try your best to sort things out,’ Harry added encouragingly.

‘And you needn’t bother calling out for help from anyone else whilst we’re gone,’ Louis cautioned. ‘I’ve taken the key and that’s that. Stop being a pair of stubborn idiots. Talk to each other and get things sorted.’

As his three friends walked away, Zayn leant his back against the only bit of wall that wasn’t lined with cupboards and slid down it until he was sitting on the floor. ‘I really don’t like small spaces,’ he repeated.

‘At least it will only be for an hour,’ Liam said as he brightly as he could in an attempt to conceal the growing concern building inside him knowing that Zayn was suffering with his claustrophobia. ‘Best make ourselves comfy and then things won’t feel so bad.’

‘What a good idea,’ Zayn replied sarcastically. ‘You take the sofa and I’ll chill out on the recliner chair. Oh, and should we pop on some Frank Ocean, load up the x-box and crack open a bottle of bubbly whilst we are at it?’ 

‘Alright, Malik,’ Liam replied with some annoyance. ‘No need to be bitchy.’ 

Zayn sighed and leant his head back against the wall. He hugged his knees tight. ‘I should be laminating the new promotional posters right now but instead I’m stuck in this box with you. No offence, but this is the last place in the world I want to be.’ 

‘No offence, but being locked in a tiny cupboard with you isn’t how I’d choose to spend my lunch hour either,’ Liam retorted.

‘I’m not going to talk to you, by the way,’ Zayn continued, ‘so you can forget all that mumbo jumbo Harry was spouting about sharing our feelings and hugging it out.’

‘Great. Some good news at last,’ Liam snapped back. ‘I don’t want to speak to you either.’

Zayn gazed off into the distance, glaring at the laminator which was still sat on the top shelf whilst Liam did his best to make himself comfortable, shoving his hands in his pockets and leaning against the doorframe. 

~~~~~

‘I’m going to have to put in a health and safety report,’ Liam announced out of the blue after a few minutes of tense silence. ‘We’ll have to get a new lock fitted so the door can open from both sides. I’ll have a word to Mara about it.’

‘You want to tell the big boss about this now?’ Zayn replied, shaking his head as he spit out the words in frustration. ‘Great idea, Payne. Let’s draw even more attention to this whole humiliating mess, shall we? Why do you have to be such a jobsworth all the time?’

‘You really think Tommo and Nialler are going to keep this secret? They’ve probably told half the office already,’ Liam reasoned. ‘And if getting a new lock fitted means I can avoid being stuck in any more cupboards with you, then it’s worth it.’

‘Trust me, if the two of us ever end up in a cupboard together again, I am walking straight out,’ Zayn replied.

Liam looked down at Zayn and smiled ruefully for a moment before sighing. He raised his left leg slightly and began to rotate his foot in small circles. ‘Look, I’m going to have to sit down. My feet are aching already and I don’t fancy standing up in here for the next hour.’ 

Liam took a tentative step closer to Zayn and dropped to his knees, inching his way along the floor until he sat squashed between Zayn and the door. His arms and legs pressed into Zayn’s side and he felt the heat from Zayn’s body burn wherever they touched. 

‘Do you have to sit so close?’ Zayn huffed indignantly. 

‘There is literally nowhere else to sit,’ Liam retorted in exasperation. ‘The rest of this ridiculously tiny space is covered with shelves.’ 

‘Fine,’ Zayn said with resignation as they continued to ignore each other as best they could. The silence echoed loudly around the room whilst Zayn busied himself pulling against a loose thread on his t-shirt and Liam stared studiously at his nails. 

Liam had never been one for sitting quietly, however, and the uncomfortable atmosphere was becoming unbearable. He grew increasingly twitchy as the minutes dragged on. 

‘What did I ever do to make you hate me so much anyway?’ he blurted out suddenly, turning his head expectantly towards Zayn.

Zayn groaned. ‘Are we really doing this?’ 

‘You know what, yes we are,’ Liam said with determination. ‘This has already become the worst experience of my entire life, so I don’t see how talking about our problems can do much more damage at this point. I want to know what on earth it is about me that you don’t like.’ 

Zayn began to shift awkwardly and he hesitated before speaking. ‘It’s going to sound really stupid if I tell you,’ he admitted, sounding slightly sheepish. 

Liam’s face softened at Zayn’s response. ‘Well, if it’s something really stupid, that might make it easier for us to fix,’ he said as kindly as he could. ‘Come on, Zayn, please tell me. I can’t say sorry if I don’t know what I did wrong.’

Zayn grimaced for a moment, before taking a deep breath. ‘You laughed at me when you saw my Marvel Movie Collection magazine,’ he mumbled, unable to look at Liam as he spoke.

‘I would never laugh at you. What are you talking about?’ Liam said, completely baffled.

‘On my first day here, I was waiting in your office to go into my introductory meeting with Mara,’ Zayn said, growing bolder. ‘I fished all my completed induction forms out of my backpack to pass over to you to process, but my Marvel Movie Collection magazine was mixed in with the paperwork. It had Bruce Banner on the cover. Do you remember?’ 

He glanced at Liam and saw him nod in recognition of the event. 

‘You asked me if I liked the Hulk and I said that he was one of my favourite Marvel characters but that I was gutted because they replaced Edward Norton following the Incredible Hulk movie in 2008.’

‘Yeah, I remember that,’ Liam replied. 

‘I only talked about that stuff with you because you had sounded genuinely interested, but you snorted in laughter after I answered your question and quite frankly I thought it was incredibly rude.’ Zayn’s voice shook with hurt as he spoke. ‘You looked at me like I was the biggest loser that ever existed. I’ve reached the stage in my life where I am sick to the back teeth of dumb jocks like you belittling me just because I like reading comics and collecting action figures. I had to deal with it all the time as a teenager when I’d bring mates round to the house and they’d tease me for ‘playing with dolls’, but I’m an adult now and I won’t put up with being judged by idiots anymore.’

‘Mara called you into her office at that point, didn’t she, so I didn’t have chance to say anything.’ Liam said, gently. ‘I only snorted because what you said about Edward Norton was complete nonsense and I couldn’t believe you had praised him the way you did. He was sacked from the franchise because he was extremely difficult on set. It wouldn’t have been fair on the other actors and the crew if he’d continued in the role.’

‘Yeah, but he only behaved like that because the script was dreadful,’ Zayn retorted. ‘He was right to speak out and go after more creative control. I admire him for doing everything he could behind the scenes to make that film better and you’ve got to admit that the original Hulk movie wasn’t the greatest, despite his amazing performance.’

‘That’s fair,’ Liam conceded, ‘and Edward Norton is an incredible actor, I agree, but regardless of that I’m glad Mark Ruffalo took over. You can’t deny that the way he conveys the inner torment between Banner and the Hulk is incredibly well acted. I think he is perfect for the role.’

‘Hang on,’ Zayn said, putting a stop to their debate, ‘how come you know so much about all this?’

‘Because even dumb jocks like me can be massive fans of Marvel, DC and Dark Horse, you idiot.’

‘Nah,’ Zayn said in shock. ‘You are messing with me, Liam. Stop it.’

Liam rolled his eyes and pushed himself away from the wall. He undid his tie, letting it hang loosely around his shoulders before beginning to unbutton his shirt.

‘Why are you getting undressed?’ Zayn said with some surprise.

‘Don’t worry, I’m not stripping off. You’ve already made it perfectly clear that you don’t want to see my biceps,’ Liam said, rolling his eyes. ‘No, Zayn, I am showing you this.’ 

As he spoke, Liam pulled his shirt open to reveal a bright yellow batman logo imprinted onto the black t-shirt he was wearing underneath his work clothes. ‘Guess you aren’t the only comic geek in the office.’

‘I can’t believe it.’ Zayn gasped, looking at Liam in complete shock. ‘You really like comics?

‘I love them,’ Liam insisted, smiling. ‘Batman is my favourite. Look, I’ve even got this.’ He pulled at a chain that was tucked inside his t-shirt. As he lifted it up, Zayn saw a miniature jewel encrusted Batman figurine dangling from the end.

‘That is sick Liam,’ Zayn exclaimed, leaning even closer to his colleague as he turned the figurine over in his hands. ‘I love it.’ 

‘I bought it at London Comic Con a year or so ago and I like to wear it when I am at work. I feel like the little guy is protecting me.’ Liam said, blushing. ‘It sounds silly, I know.’

‘It doesn’t sound silly at all,’ Zayn said with reassurance, looking warmly at Liam and smiling so broadly for a moment that his nose scrunched. ‘It’s badass, is what it is, and I think you could do a lot worse than having Batman as your guardian angel.’ 

Liam flushed with contentment as Zayn leant in to admire the figurine around his neck once more. A loose strand of hair fell forward, brushing against Liam’s cheek. Liam shivered at the sudden sense of touch and closeness, which in turn startled Zayn. He glanced towards Liam, staring for a moment at his plump pink lips before letting go of Batman and sitting back once more, resting his head against the cupboard wall. 

‘Talking of wearing things that protect you, I got this tattoo,’ he said quietly as he held out his left middle finger for Liam to see. ‘It’s a lightsaber,’ he added. 

Liam clasped his hands around Zayn’s palm to hold it steady as he gazed at the intricate tattoo that ran along the inner side of his finger. 

‘That’s the coolest thing I think I’ve ever seen,’ Liam said, peering at it closely. 

‘Nah, you haven’t seen the cool bit yet,’ Zayn promised happily as he switched on a mini torch that was attached to his lanyard and gestured towards the light switch by the door. ‘Turn the light off for a second please, Liam.’ 

Liam looked confused but pushed himself up and flicked off the light. He gasped as he looked back down at Zayn’s finger and saw the lightsaber illuminated whenever Zayn shone the blacklight torch over it. 

‘Wow, Zayn, that is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it,’ he exclaimed, rubbing his thumb over the tattoo. 

‘Told you.’ Zayn replied proudly. ‘It’s UV ink. Cost a bit to get it done but it was totally worth it. I can feel a bit anxious at night sometimes, so I keep a blacklight torch on my bedside table and whenever I can’t sleep I look at my lightsaber tattoo and it helps me feel okay.’ 

Zayn looked across to Liam who was reaching up to turn the light switch back on. ‘Why am I telling you all this, anyway?’ he asked. ‘We couldn’t stand each other five minutes ago.’ 

‘I guess no matter what you think of me, your instincts are letting you know that you can trust me,’ Liam reassured him. ‘And you _can_ trust me, I promise. I would never tell a soul about anything that you’ve just shared. It’s no-one else’s business.’

‘And I promise I won’t tell anyone your secrets either,’ Zayn said with real sincerity etched on his face. ‘What is said in this room stays in this room.’ 

They smiled at each other.

‘With great power comes great responsibility,’ Liam announced solemnly.

‘Nerd,’ Zayn exclaimed, laughing.

‘Takes one to know one,’ Liam replied, prodding Zayn’s upper arm affectionately. ‘I’m just glad I finally know the cause of the problems between us. Why you dislike me so much.’

‘Liam, I am so incredibly sorry,’ Zayn said. He cast his eyes downwards and played with his fingers awkwardly. ‘I can’t believe I treated you so badly when I should have just talked to you and told you why I felt so guarded. You must hate me.’

‘How could I ever hate you?’ Liam wondered.

‘Because I’ve been so awful,’ Zayn explained.

‘Yeah, but that was only because you thought I had mocked you. It triggered you and you were just trying to protect yourself emotionally,’ Liam said. ‘It sounds like you had to deal with quite a bit of stick from your so-called friends when you were younger and I get where you are coming from, truly I do.’ He hesitated before continuing. ‘As we are telling each other our secrets, I’ll tell you this.’ He took a deep breath and twisted his body so that he faced Zayn. 

‘I was a bit of a swot at school and Mum and Dad didn’t have much money so they could never afford the branded clothes and trainers all the other kids were wearing. I was gay as well and didn’t see why I should keep it a secret. As a result of all of that, I got picked on in class. Kids said really mean things to me and some of the lads started getting physical as well. Things got a bit rough for a while.’ Liam’s voice cracked as he remembered what life had been like back then. 

‘Shit, Liam, that’s dreadful,’ Zayn replied, interlinking their fingers and giving Liam’s hand a squeeze. Liam grasped hold of Zayn’s hand and squeezed back tightly, not letting go. 

‘Yeah, well dad found out and he was so angry that I was having to deal with all that. Honestly, Zayn, I’ve never seen him so mad before or since. He took me to boxing classes and I found I really loved spending time at the gym. My trainer, Paddy, was so good to me and took me under his wing. He said I wasn’t the first kid to come in after being bullied and in addition to teaching me to box he gave me back my self-belief. I still box all these years later because it soothes my mind and helps me feel more confident. Plus, I’ve ended up with a pretty decent six pack under my stuffy work clothes, which is a bit of a bonus,’ he said, biting his lip and looking at Zayn with twinkling eyes. 

Zayn raised an eyebrow and shifted a little where he sat, letting go of Liam’s hand.

‘You’re pulling a weird face, there,’ Liam said, smiling slyly. ‘Are you picturing me naked, since I mentioned my six pack?’

‘Well, I was picturing you without your shirt on, but now I am thinking of you naked, so thanks for that,’ Zayn admitted, his cheeks flushing.

‘Naked me had better look hot in your imagination, Zayn,’ Liam insisted.

‘Liam Payne! Stop being such a tease. You are making me blush,’ Zayn said, hiding behind his hands, but peaking out between his fingers to look at Liam. 

‘The fierce and feisty Zayn Malik, blushing. No way!’ a beaming Liam exclaimed. ‘This I’ve got to see.’ 

He pulled at Zayn’s hands so that he uncovered his face.

‘Hi,’ Zayn said, grinning back at Liam before pointing towards his right cheek. ‘Ta dah, I’m blushing.’

Liam reached up to press the back of his hand to Zayn’s face and smiled at him fondly.

‘Naked you looks really, really hot in my imagination, by the way,’ Zayn added, shyly.

‘Zayn,’ Liam whispered, feeling his heart suddenly pound in his chest. He gazed into Zayn’s eyes, entranced by his long eyelashes, and noticed a small freckle on the outside edge of Zayn’s iris. 

The man is truly beautiful, Liam thought as his heart did a flip and his insides felt all gooey.

He dropped his head and broke eye contact with Zayn. ‘See, you are making _me_ blush now.’

‘Liam,’ Zayn said softly. ‘Can I ask you a question?’

Liam looked back up and nodded. ‘Of course.’

‘Can we please be friends?’

‘I can’t think of anything I’d like more,’ Liam replied, happily. ‘Thought you’d never ask.’

‘Good,’ Zayn said, breathing out a sigh of relief as his eyes watered and a tear fell down his cheek. ‘Thank you, Liam.’

‘Oh, Zayn,’ Liam gasped on seeing his new friend’s response. ‘Where did that tear come from? Please don’t cry.’ He flung his arms around Zayn’s shoulders and gave him a massive hug. Zayn squawked in surprise. 

‘Shut up and give me a hug back,’ Liam murmured in Zayn’s ear. Zayn immediately wrapped his arms around Liam, squeezing hard; his face nestled into the crook of Liam’s neck. They held each other closely for a minute or two, both drawing comfort from the embrace.

‘I don’t deserve your friendship, Liam, and I don’t understand how you are being so nice about everything that happened,’ Zayn said, snuffling and wiping away his tears as they finally broke away from each other. ‘How on earth are you able to forgive me when I can’t forgive myself?’

‘There is nothing to forgive, Zayn,’ Liam said, fondly. ‘Look, I won’t lie, I felt so confused and hurt during those months when you wouldn’t speak to me, but I understand why it happened. Everything is okay now so you mustn’t go forward carrying any form of regret. Please promise me you won’t.’

Zayn nodded. ‘I promise, but I am so angry with myself about the way I have behaved. After that first day, I always thought you seemed so warm and kind and I was always having to bite my cheek to stop myself from smiling whenever I saw you. But I am way too stubborn for my own good and I kept reminding myself of what I thought of you that first time we met. My stubbornness stopped me from trying to resolve things or get to know you properly. When you started to snap back at me it made it easier to keep my distance.’

Liam looked at Zayn and screwed up his eyes in frustration. ‘Sorry about that. We’ve both been idiots and I wish we’d talked to each other and opened up before now.’

‘I’d have willingly locked us both in this cupboard months ago if I’d known our problems would be so easy to resolve,’ Zayn admitted, shaking his head.

‘You’d willingly lock yourself in this cupboard?’ Liam asked. ‘Even with your claustrophobia?’

Zayn nodded. ‘It’s worth the claustrophobia to get to know you properly.’

Liam felt overwhelmed by Zayn’s words. ‘You’re a pretty cool friend to have, Zayn Malik,’ he said.

‘You are a pretty cool friend to have too, Liam Payne,’ Zayn grinned back.

They remained sitting together in comfortable silence for a few minutes, with Zayn resting his head on Liam’s shoulder and Liam leaning in to Zayn’s side. 

‘How does it feel being in the cupboard, Zee?’ Liam asked with some hesitancy. ‘Are you coping okay?’

‘Got to admit, the longer I’m trapped in this room, the harder it’s getting. You’ll have to distract me, Liam. Take my mind off where I am.’

Liam shifted his body so he faced towards Zayn. They looked at each other and smiled. 

‘I’m being stupid,’ Zayn whispered. 

‘Nah,’ Liam reassured him, ‘I think you are being incredibly brave. I have a phobia as well, so I totally get where you are coming on.’

Zayn looked at Liam sympathetically. ‘You poor thing. What’s your phobia, then? Snakes? Spiders? Heights?’

‘Much worse,’ Liam said, looking suitably solemn. ‘I have a phobia of spoons.’

Zayn let out a snicker of surprised laughter and shook his head in disbelief.

‘Nice try, Liam, but you’re making that up,’ he said, smiling at his friend. ‘Nobody has a phobia of spoons.’

‘Well, I do,’ Liam continued, grinning back at Zayn. ‘There is a fancy name for it and everything. Koutaliaphobia. Spoons are weird, man. They are all cold and shiny and the thought of loads of people licking them is gross.’ He shuddered dramatically.

‘Spoons aren’t weird. You’re weird,’ Zayn said with affection.

‘Yes, I am,’ Liam agreed, ‘and I know that it’s a ridiculous phobia to have, but you can’t pick and choose these things. Of course, now that we are friends I’ll be expecting lots of sympathy whenever a spoon crosses my path. You can be my spoon support person.’

‘Is it too late to back out of this friendship?’ Zayn pondered out loud jokingly, beaming as he spoke.

‘I’m afraid it is, and you are going to have to adjust to a spoon-free life from now on,’ Liam said sympathetically, patting Zayn’s hand. ‘Sorry about that, Zee.’

Zayn pouted and Liam pouted back.

‘Idiot,’ Zayn said, fondly.

Liam crossed his arms and looked at Zayn with the biggest puppy-dog eyes, pouting once more. 

Zayn looked back at Liam for a moment in contemplation before surging quickly forward and pressing a soft kiss to his friend’s lips. It only lasted a brief second, and it was barely more than a peck, but Liam’s lips tingled and his brain began to spin. 

Zayn had kissed him. 

A real, actual kiss.

Their first kiss. 

Liam sucked in a lungful of air to steady his racing heart.

‘I’ve wanted to kiss you for such a long time,’ Zayn said softly as he pulled away. ‘Every time we’d pass each other in the corridor or sit in a meeting together there was always something buried deep inside - a feeling, a spark, an attraction to you – that was fighting to get out. I tried my best to ignore it but it wouldn’t go away. I don’t think it will ever go away.’

Liam closed his eyes and remained silent, taking in Zayn’s words. He needed to process what had just happened. It was so much and Liam felt overwhelmed.

But his silence caused Zayn to almost instantly become frantic. 

‘Oh, Liam, I’ve just gone and messed everything up, haven’t I?’ he garbled, speaking in a rush. ‘I am so sorry for kissing you and for getting all soppy. My emotions are all over the place being stuck here in this stupid cupboard and I just got caught up in the moment and didn’t think things through. It was those eyes of yours. I took leave of my senses. Let’s just pretend it didn’t happen, yeah? I want to be your friend, Liam, and I promise I’m not looking for anything more. I shouldn’t have kissed you and I won’t do it again. Please say we are still friends.’

Liam continued his silence and Zayn shook his arm in desperation. ‘Say something, Liam, please.’

But Liam didn’t speak. Instead he looked back up towards Zayn and reached out to take hold of his hand. Zayn looked at Liam questioningly as he moved closer, drawing in a breath as Liam closed his eyes and brushed their lips together once more, lingering for a moment before pulling away. The kiss was chaste and gentle, but it felt incredible.

Liam sat back and looked at Zayn. ‘I wanted to kiss you the moment I first met you and I wanted to be your best friend the moment I saw your Marvel Movie Collection magazine.’

‘My best friend?’ Zayn whispered.

‘Yes, Zayn, your best friend,’ Liam repeated.

‘Best friends that kiss?’

Liam nodded. ‘Best friends that kiss and maybe go on dates with each other?’

‘Maybe we could be best friends that kiss and go on a date after work tomorrow?’

Liam smiled warmly at Zayn. ‘That sounds good to me.’

He hesitated for a moment. 

‘Are we taking things too quickly, Zee? I don’t want to mess things up and my brain is telling me to slow down, but I don’t think I can.’ 

‘Me neither,’ Zayn admitted. ‘Your brain might be telling you to slow down, but all my brain can think about right now is how much I want to kiss you again.’

He looked longingly at Liam and reached out a hand to caress his cheek, running his fingers over Liam’s stubble. 

‘I don’t think you realise just how incredible you are, Liam, and how perfect you are for me,’ Zayn whispered. ‘I want to show you just how good I can be for you too. I could never have spent an hour in this small box without you by my side. Being with you makes me feel strong and I think that together we could take on the world, so how about you stop imagining all the ways this could go wrong and just kiss me.’

‘Well, when you put it like that, how can I say no?’ Liam said, smiling as he leant in towards Zayn. This time, their lips pressed together with more intensity. There was an urgency as they kissed. Liam wrapped his arms around Zayn, whilst Zayn ran his fingers through Liam’s hair as their kiss deepened. Liam’s hands slipped under the hem of Zayn’s t-shirt and his fingertips grazed the soft skin of Zayn’s back.

‘Liam,’ Zayn whispered…

But they were startled apart by the sound of heavy footsteps and the noise of a fist hammering on the cupboard door. 

‘Alright lads,’ Louis called out. ‘Have you kissed and made up yet?’ 

Liam twisted his head towards the door. ‘Just get us out of here Louis, you knobhead,’ he shouted, ‘We’re both really hungry and have loads of work to do.’

‘Got to be honest, Liam, I’m not in too much of a hurry to get back to work right now,’ Zayn whispered, pressing soft kisses to Liam’s neck and making him squirm contentedly.

‘Yeah, me neither,’ Liam whispered back, ‘but we can kiss each other in far nicer places than this cupboard, so let’s get out of here.’

‘Sounds like a plan,’ Zayn said, scrambling quickly to his feet and holding out a hand to help Liam up.

‘Are you both friends now?’ Louis called out from the other side of the cupboard door.

‘If you open the door you’ll find out,’ Zayn retorted.

‘You can’t keep them locked up in there all day,’ Harry reasoned with Louis. 

There was a bit of harrumphing before Liam and Zayn heard the sound of the key turning in the lock.

‘Hang on a minute,’ Liam said as the door opened. He stepped to the back of the cupboard and pulled out a box full of reams of A4 paper, standing on top of it so that he could grab hold of the laminator and a pack of laminating pouches from the top shelf. He also picked up a strip of staples as he made his way out of the room. 

‘Here you go, my friend,’ he said, grinning at Zayn and handing him the laminator.

‘Thanks, pal,’ Zayn replied, gazing back at Liam just as fondly.

Harry squealed in delight. ‘So the two of you are actually friends, now? For real?’

Liam and Zayn nodded happily. ‘Yep, we’re friends,’ Liam confirmed.

‘I can’t believe our plan actually worked,’ Louis said, stunned.

‘Well it did, so cough up, Tommo. You owe me and Harry a fiver each,’ Niall declared, holding his palm out towards the surprised-looking Yorkshireman expectantly. Louis stuffed his hand in his pocket and grabbed his wallet, reluctantly handing his money over to Niall and Harry.

‘The three of you placed a bet on whether Liam and I would make up with each other whilst we were in the cupboard?’ Zayn said, clutching his hand to his heart and gasping in mock-horror.

‘Certainly did,’ Niall replied without a hint of shame.

‘At least Harry and Niall believed we would become friends,’ Liam pointed out. ‘How could you bet against us, Tommo? Keeping us in that cupboard was your idea in the first place,’ Liam rested his hands on his hips and looked towards Louis for an explanation. 

‘To be fair, you can both be incredibly stubborn,’ Louis explained, defensively. ‘I was hoping that staying in the cupboard would give you both the opportunity to talk, but I never thought you’d actually sort everything out so quickly.’

‘Zayn can be a pretty fast mover when he wants to be,’ Liam said, smiling as Zayn smirked.

‘Clearly,’ Louis replied. 

Harry began to rummage inside his bright pink tote bag. ‘We bought you both some lunch,’ he announced, pulling out packs of sandwiches and a couple of drinks. ‘Figured we ought to grab some butties for you before all the good stuff sold.’

‘Thank goodness you didn’t pick up any soup,’ Zayn replied, breathing out a dramatic sigh of relief as Harry looked at him quizzically. ‘Liam and I have been through a lot today. Don’t think we are up to facing any spoons right now.’

Liam looked at Zayn and shook his head fondly. ‘You’re going to tease me about the spoon thing until the day I die, aren’t you?’

‘Yep, I most certainly am,’ Zayn grinned.

‘Err, I hate to interrupt whatever weird flirting ritual is going on between the pair of you right now,’ Louis said, moving his index finger repeatedly between Liam and Zayn, ‘but what exactly went on in that cupboard?’ 

Liam coughed as he began to button his shirt back up and Zayn teased his dishevelled hair with his fingers.

‘We kissed and made up, just like you said,’ Liam explained, nonchalantly. ‘Now, my friend and I are going to eat our lunch in a room that doesn’t have a lock on it and you three idiots better hope you don’t need a favour from either of us any time this next millennium.’

‘What he said,’ Zayn chipped in, adding ‘thanks, Harry’ as he grabbed their sandwiches and balanced them on top of the boxed laminator before following Liam down the corridor to his office.

~~~~~ 

‘I’ve got a bit of a confession to make,’ Zayn announced whilst he was mid-way through his lunch.

‘What’s that?’ Liam looked at him, smiling.

‘Remember when we were in the cupboard and I said I wasn’t interested in seeing your biceps?’

‘Mmm hmm,’ Liam replied.

‘Well I might have not been entirely honest with you. Maybe I actually do want to see your biceps very much after all.’ 

With that, Zayn took a huge bite from his sandwich, not taking his eyes from Liam for a moment.

‘I knew you were checking me out earlier when you said I looked toned,’ Liam exclaimed in triumph.

‘Yeah, well, it’s impossible not to check you out, Jaan. You’re the most gorgeous man I’ve ever met,’ Zayn said. ‘And as much as I like batman, I can’t wait to get you out of that t-shirt.’

‘Bruce Wayne not good enough for you, then?’ Liam asked.

‘Nah,’ Zayn replied, smiling at his boyfriend. ‘You’re the only superhero I need.’

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from Boys That Sing by Viola Beach.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading. I do hope you enjoyed the fic! x


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